Constructivism in Practice

         While reading about constructivist classrooms in this week’s resources, I began to reflect on the different strategies that were presented.  In order to use technology in a manner that is helpful and provides students with applicable skills many different activities can be done.

          By having students work on generating and testing a hypothesis three things occur.  First, they are “engaging in complex mental processes” (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn & Malenoski, 2007, pp. 202).  Secondly, they can “apply content knowledge” (Pitler, et al., 2007, pp. 202).  Lastly, students can “enhance their overall understanding” (Pitler, et al. 2007, pp. 202).  By using the help of technology teachers can achieve the six tasks which are “system analysis, problem solving, historical investigation, invention, experiential inquiry, and decision making” (Pitler, et al., 2007, pp. 203).  The technologies that are out there to support these tasks are spreadsheet software, data collection tools, and various web resources.  By using these programs the goals for the teacher can be achieved in a measureable way.  Using MS Excel for example, can help gather data to help support a hypothesis.  Most importantly, web resources can foster “interactive applets and simulations allow students to use background knowledge, make decisions and see the outcomes in a virtual setting” (Pittler, et al., 2007,  pp. 212).

          Whether you believe that students create their own meaning (constructivist) or that learning takes place when something is produces (constructionist) or a combination of both theories, using technology can help assimilate, accommodate, equilibrate, and increase scheme (understanding) on a topic.  These are all mechanisms for learning or how children acquire and remember new information.  The learner must be able to strike the balance between reality and their own understanding and if they are vastly different then the student must assimilate their own reality to the outside world or make accommodations to their schema to align with the reality.  Technology can seek to change the interpretation of the information for the student.  For example, by using a slideshow presentation, a student can seek to demonstrate how to conserve natural resources after they have researched how these resources are not replaceable and if we do not conserve now, future generations will suffer.  This might change how they view the world in their own reality, but they are constructing something to show that they understand the concept of conservation and how nature functions in a broader sense.

          To summarize, by using technology students can apply their knowledge to make learning more meaningful.  The flexibility that technology affords makes it easier for students to adapt their thinking to the worlds views. 

 

Resources:

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.